Riyoko Ikeda

Born in Osaka in 18th December, 1947, she is the oldest of 4 brothers.In her childhood she stood out by being calm and studious and for always having clear her thoughts.
In high school, she took part a wind instruments band where she played the trumpet, it was then when she decided to study music and piano, but before giving the entrance examination she realized she didn’t have the necessary talent, then she applied to the school of philosophy at the Tokyo Educational University (currently Tsukuba University).
Her father, a very traditional man, acceded to her going to university only if she complied with very strict rules such as it should be a state University, she would not reprove any class and after the first year she should pay her studies.
It was the 70’s and at the university she joined an anti-violence group, where the experiences she had would later be reflected on BeruBara.
To economically maintain herself while she was studying she started to work as a waitress at a coffee shop, but then decided that drawing mangas would be a much more calm way of working. Her debut as Drawer was in 1967 in the magazine Kashihonya, with “Bara-Yashiki no Shoujo” (“The Girl of the Rose”), but she made her debut at the weekly magazine “Margaret” at the age of 21, during at her third year at university. Her drawings had a great acceptance, which is why she was allowed to do a series. She had to leave university because the creation of a serie was a great responsibility, this is how at the age of 24 she started Berusaiyu no Bara, even though the editors opposed, she always wanted to draw something about Marie Antoinette, so they put the condition that if the series was not a success it would finish immediately, but for Riyoko Ikeda’s happiness, and ours of course, in the first poll that was made to manga readers, it reported in the first place as the most popular series in Japan. Then, more series came a and new successes such as Orpheus Window, Empress Chaterina and other historical dramas.
When Riyoko was 40 years old, she realized she wanted to do other stuff, accomplish old dreams, that the drawing life had passed, that’s why at the age of 47 she entered university to study music.
Now, she has the university degree of vocalist and dramatist, with the chant as her main activity, performing about 3 to 4 times in a month.
Presently, she is also writing the script for the opera of “Rose of Versailles”. She opened a chant school for third age people and in August 2001 she opened her website, where she keeps in touch with her fans

Born in Osaka in 18th December, 1947, she is the oldest of 4 brothers.In her childhood she stood out by being calm and studious and for always having clear her thoughts.
In high school, she took part a wind instruments band where she played the trumpet, it was then when she decided to study music and piano, but before giving the entrance examination she realized she didn’t have the necessary talent, then she applied to the school of philosophy at the Tokyo Educational University (currently Tsukuba University).
Her father, a very traditional man, acceded to her going to university only if she complied with very strict rules such as it should be a state University, she would not reprove any class and after the first year she should pay her studies.
It was the 70’s and at the university she joined an anti-violence group, where the experiences she had would later be reflected on BeruBara.
To economically maintain herself while she was studying she started to work as a waitress at a coffee shop, but then decided that drawing mangas would be a much more calm way of working. Her debut as Drawer was in 1967 in the magazine Kashihonya, with “Bara-Yashiki no Shoujo” (“The Girl of the Rose”), but she made her debut at the weekly magazine “Margaret” at the age of 21, during at her third year at university. Her drawings had a great acceptance, which is why she was allowed to do a series. She had to leave university because the creation of a serie was a great responsibility, this is how at the age of 24 she started Berusaiyu no Bara, even though the editors opposed, she always wanted to draw something about Marie Antoinette, so they put the condition that if the series was not a success it would finish immediately, but for Riyoko Ikeda’s happiness, and ours of course, in the first poll that was made to manga readers, it reported in the first place as the most popular series in Japan. Then, more series came a and new successes such as Orpheus Window, Empress Chaterina and other historical dramas.
When Riyoko was 40 years old, she realized she wanted to do other stuff, accomplish old dreams, that the drawing life had passed, that’s why at the age of 47 she entered university to study music.
Now, she has the university degree of vocalist and dramatist, with the chant as her main activity, performing about 3 to 4 times in a month.
Presently, she is also writing the script for the opera of “Rose of Versailles”. She opened a chant school for third age people and in August 2001 she opened her website, where she keeps in touch with her fans.